Mumbai, Aug. 12 -- Jain monk Muni Nileshchandra Vijay has announced an indefinite hunger strike starting from tomorrow to protest the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's (BMC) closure of Dadar Kabutarkhana, a traditional pigeon-feeding site.
Vijay declared the Jain community would defy court orders interfering with their religious practice of feeding birds, asserting: "We follow satyagraha first, but will take up arms for religion if necessary."
The monk alleged the ban specifically targets Jain traditions and is politically timed with elections. "Our faith teaches no living being should starve," he stated, questioning why poultry and liquor consumption isn't similarly restricted. Vijay claimed over 10 lakh Jains nationwide would join the...